News

The Circuit Franco Belge was held for the first time in 1924, so we are approaching the centenary edition. However, even with this age, the event does not enjoy the prestige of other more modern Belgian races, as it has been affected by changes in format and name and, in cycling, this matters. Traditionally the race was held in 4 stages, but in 2015 it was transformed into a one-day race. In addition, it has not kept the same name over time: In 2011 it was called the Tour de Wallonie Picarde, and from 2012 to 2021 the Eurométropole Tour. For the 2022 edition, the race recovers its traditional name of Circuit Franco Belge, in what we consider a good move on the part of the organizers.

Route

The route is new compared to previous editions, since the departure and arrival towns have exchanged roles on this occasion. The race usually left Louvière for Tournai, but in the 2022 edition the cyclists will take the start in Tournai in the direction of the Louvière, where they’ll have to complete 4 laps on a 20-kilometre local circuit. Traditionally, this is a race for sprinters, but we will see if this is also the case this time, as the local circuit includes three short climbs that could lead to surprises: rue du Bois a Breucq (0.3 km at 8%), rue Secquegneau (1, 5 km at 3%) and rue du Four à Chaux (0.6 km at 6.9%).

Favorites

Although a bunch sprint is not certain, it is still the most likely, so we should look for the main favorites among the sprinters. Arnaud de Lie (200), Alexander Kristoff (800), Biniam Girmay (600), Giacomo Nizzolo (800), Byan Coquard (600), Timothy Dupont (200), Alberto Dainese (400), Jon Aberasturi (600), Stanislav Aniolkowski (400), Ethan Vernon (200), Edward Teuns (200), Marc Sarreau (200), Matteo Moschetti (200) or Kristoffer Halvorsen (400) are some of the fastest. On the other hand, riders such as Greg Van Avermaet (400), Piet Alllegaert (400), Oliver Naesen (400), Stan Dewulf (200), Julien Simon (200) or Sep Vanmarcke (200) will probably attack to avoid the sprint.